Polisario supporters angered by Gambian ban on conference

Banjul, the capital of The Gambia, is hosting the 87th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. This edition has been marked by anger among Polisario supporters after Gambian authorities banned a conference organized by a coalition of NGOs and the Geneva-based group of states backing Brahim Ghali’s movement.

The event, titled «Breaking the Silence on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Western Sahara», was scheduled to take place on the sidelines of the Commission’s proceedings. In a statement sent to our newsroom, the organizers denounced what they described as «an attempt to silence Sahrawi human rights defenders».

The statement, published on May 13, 2026, was backed by several NGOs calling for the reinstatement of the cancelled side event. It warned that «this cancellation risks undermining the Commission’s commitment to transparency, participation, and the protection of civic space».

For its part, the Polisario condemned on Thursday what it described as «unacceptable interference by certain parties close to» Morocco.

The Gambia, which recognizes Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, opened a consulate general in Dakhla on January 7, 2020.